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- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS);faqs.076
-
-
- Section D: Anti-Virus Programs
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Programs: McAfee anti-virus utilities
- Version: 97
- Upload Date: 92/10/16
- Files: scanv97.zip(scanner), clean97.zip(removal), vshld97.zip(prevention)
- Size: scan(146,662 bytes), clean(160,850 bytes), vshield(120,516 bytes)
- Location: oak: /pub/msdos/trojan-pro
- garbo: /pc/virus
- Status: Sharewares
- Comment: Simply the BEST ...
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Program: F-Prot anti-virus program
- Version: 2.05
- Upload Date: 92/08/27
- File: fp-205.zip
- Size: 288,153 bytes
- Location: oak: /pub/msdos/trojan-pro
- garbo: /pc/virus
- Status: Shareware, Free for private use
- Comment: a MUST ...
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Program: VIRx
- Version: 2.4
- Upload Date: 92/08/30
- File: virx24.zip
- Size: 93,911 bytes
- Location: oak: /pub/msdos/trojan-pro
- garbo: /pc/virus
- Status: Freeware
- Comment: A fine virus scanner ...
- Alternative: TB Scan (tbscan43.zip + vsig9208.zip) - fast
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Program: HyperText VSUM
- Version: 9209
- Upload Date: 92/09/27
- File: vsumx209.zip
- Size: 636,924 bytes
- Location: oak: /pub/msdos/trojan-pro
- garbo: /pc/virus
- Status: Shareware
- Comment: Organized in hypertext form, this program tells you everything you
- ever want to know about viruses ...
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Section E: Editors
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Program: QEdit
- Version: 2.15
- Upload Date: 91/09/09
- File: qedit215.zip
- Size: 134,778 bytes
- Location: oak: /pub/msdos/qedit
- garbo: /pc/editor
- Status: Shareware
- Comment: This one is very very good ... I'm using it now :) ...
- Alternatives: Vision-Edit (ved331.zip) - can edit files up to 4 megabytes.
- Video Display Editor (vde164.zip) - an efficient editor/quasi-
- word-processor.
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Program: Elvis
- Version: 1.6
- Upload Date: 92/08/14
- File: elv16exe.zip
- Size: 208,263 bytes
- Location: oak: /pub/msdos/editor
- garbo: not the latest
- Status: Freeware
- Comment: a 99.99% vi clone ... Very good ...
- Alternatives: Calvin (calvin21.zip) - a partial vi clone (for garbo: /pc/editor)
- Oak Hill Vi (vi60a1.zoo) - a good (and not-free) vi clone -
- obtainable from plains.nodak.edu (in /pub/pc/editors)
- Vile (vi-like emacs) is obtainable from ftp.cayman.com (as
- /pub/vile/pcvile3.25.tar.Z)
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Program: MicroEmacs
- Version: 3.11c
- Upload Date: 92/08/26
- Files: 311c2ibm.zip and ue311cmd.zip
- Size: 128,508 bytes (total)
- Location: oak: /pub/msdos/uemacs
- garbo: /pc/memacs (/meibm.zip and ue311ibm.arc)
- Status: Freeware
- Comment: This is a nice emacs clone ...
- Alternatives: Freeamcs (emacs16d.zip in /pub/msdos/freemacs) - this one is
- more compatible with GNU emacs
- Demacs (dem120e.zip in /pub/msdos/demacs) - MSDOS implementation
- of GNU emacs - requires 386+ and lots of disk-space
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Program: Ted (Tiny Editor)
- Version: 1.0
- Upload Date: 88/10/21
- File: as part of vol7n19.arc (oak) or vol7n19.zip (garbo)
- Size: 48,128 bytes
- Location: oak: /pub/msdos/pcmag
- garbo: /pc/pcmag
- Status: Freeware
- Comment: A small and efficient editor ...
- A good rewrite of this program is Terse 1.4 (trs140a.zip) (garbo
- only: /pc/editor) ...
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Section F: Communication Programs
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Program: MS Kermit
- Version: 3.11
- Upload Date: 91/10/01
- File: msker311.zip
- Size: 186,841 bytes
- Location: oak: /pub/msdos/kermit
- garbo: /pc/termprog
- Status: Freeware
- Comment: A good communication program with the best vt100 emulation ...
- The latest Kermit 3.12 (msvibm.zip) is now available from
- watsun.cc.columbia.edu (in /kermit/bin) ...
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Program: X/Y/Zmodem file transfer program
- Version: -
- Upload Date: 92/05/04
- File: gsz0503.zip
- Size: 112,454 bytes
- Location: oak: /pub/msdos/zmodem
- garbo: /pc/termutil
- Status: Shareware
- Comment: Very good ...
- Alternatives: DSZ (dsz0503.zip) - the non-graphical version of GSZ
- Texas Zmodem (txzm220.zip) - a _free_ Zmodem transfer program
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Program: Telemate
- Version: 3.10
- Upload Date: 92/09
- Files: tm310-{1,2,3}.zip
- Size: 594,572 bytes (total)
- Location: oak: /pub/msdos/modem
- garbo: /pc/termprog
- Status: Shareware
- Comment: A comprehensive and probably the best communication package ...
- With internal multitasking ...
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Program: Telix
- Version: 3.15
- Upload Date: 91/04/04
- Files: tlx315-{1,2,3}.zip
- Size: 338,343 bytes (total)
- Location: oak: /pub/msdos/telix
- garbo: /pc/termprog
- Status: Shareware
- Comment: With a good script language and in-built Zmodem ...
- Exis has sold Telix to deltaComm ... see tlx-sold.zip ...
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Program: BGFT - Background File Transfer
- Version: 2.11
- Upload Date: 91/07/05
- File: bgft211.zip
- Size: 245,592 bytes
- Location: oak: /pub/msdos/modem
- garbo: /pc/termutil
- Status: Shareware
- Comment: A program that allow you to do other things while transferring files...
- Alternative: SZModem (szmod200.zip) (for oak: in /pub/msdos/zmodem)
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Program: Quick-Dial
- Version: 1.0
- Upload Date: 92/08/06
- File: qdial10.zip
- Size: 17,300 bytes
- Location: oak: /pub/msdos/deskaccess
- garbo: not available
- Status: Shareware
- Comment: An interesting program ... You can dial voice call in DOS prompt ...
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Program: Modem Doctor
- Version: 4.0S
- Upload Date: 92/01/31
- File: modemd40.zip
- Size: 115,088 bytes
- Location: oak: /pub/msdos/modem
- garbo: /pc/comm
- Status: Shareware
- Comment: Testing your modem and serial ports ...
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Section G: Miscellaneous Files
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- File: simibm.zip
- Version: updated frequently
- Description: Master index file of the MSDOS directory of Simtel20 and mirrors
- Location: oak: /pub/msdos/filedocs
- Comment: With simdir (simdir22.zip), one can easily look for msdos files ...
- For the latest uploads, get FILES.IDX from oak: /pub/msdos (or
- Simtel: PD1:<msdos>) ... Use fgrep/grep to search for additions
- in the last few days ...
- Alternative: simlist.zip (plain text)
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- File: INDEX.ZIP
- Version: updated almost daily
- Description: The master index file of garbo's pc directory ...
- Location: garbo: /pc
- Comment: This is a must ...
- For the latest uploads, see the file _files.in ...
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- File: moder16.zip
- Version: 16
- Size: 8,978 bytes
- Description: A list of MS-DOS FTP sites and their moderators
- Location oak: /pub/msdos/info
- garbo: /pc/pd2
- Comment: A list of good ftp sites for PC materials by Timo Salmi and
- Rhys Weatherley ...
- For the comprehensive list of anon-ftp sites by Tom Czarnik, get
- ftplist.zip(oak: /pub/msdos/info) or ftpsites.lst(garbo: /pc/doc-net)
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- File: tsfaq30.zip
- Version: 30
- Size: 112,465 bytes
- Description: Timo Salmi: Frequently asked questions & answers
- Location: oak: /pub/msdos/info
- garbo: /pc/ts
- Comment: This has been the Bible of the comp.binaries.ibm.pc.* groups ...
- Informative and entertaining ...
- There are also many other interesting stuffs in /pc/ts and /pc/pd2 ...
- e.g.tsbat38.zip - a collection of useful batch files and tricks ...
- author11.zip - SW & PD authors reachable on the Internet ...
- bestpr24.zip - Timo's choice of 24 best MSDOS SW & PD program ...
- post*.zip - information emails & postings ...
- Also look for timo01e.gif/timo01v.gif in garbo: /pc/gif ...
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- File: jargon2910.zip
- Version: 2.9.10
- Size: 505,474 bytes
- Description: Eric Raymond: Jargon file 2.9.10, hacker slang dictionary
- Location: oak: /pub/msdos/info
- garbo: not available
- Comment: A remarkable collection of computer slangs ... Informative and
- entertaining ...
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- File: zen10.zip
- Version: 1.0
- Size: 71,459 bytes
- Description: Zen and the Art of the Internet
- Location: oak: /pub/msdos/books
- garbo: not available
- Comment: The beginners' guide to the Internet ...
- The 2nd edition is commercial, sold by Prentice Hall ...
-
- BTW ... If you're really interested to know more about the Internet, consider
- buying a copy of "The Whole Internet Users' Guide & Catalog" ... written
- by Ed Krol and published by O'Reilly ...
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- File: useful19.zip :)
- Version: 1.9
- Size: 21,500+ bytes
- Description: The Most Useful MSDOS Programs at Simtel and Garbo
- Location: oak: /pub/msdos/info
- garbo: /pc/filelist
- Comment: This list + a list of major changes since last version (1.8) ...
- Uncompressed version of this list (msdos-archives) can be obtained
- from pit-manager.mit.edu (in /pub/usenet/news.answers) ...
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Appendix 1: Mirror Sites
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Mirror Site IP Directory
- ----------- -- ---------
-
- I. Simtel Mirrors
- wsmr-simtel20.army.mil 192.88.110.20 PD1: <MSDOS.WHATEVER>
- oak.oakland.edu 141.210.10.117 /pub/msdos/whatever
- wuarchive.wustl.edu 128.252.135.4 /mirror/msdos/whatever
- ftp.uu.net 137.39.1.9 /systems/simtel20/msdos/whatever
- nic.funet.fi 128.214.6.100 /pub/msdos/Simtel20-mirror/whatever
- src.doc.ic.ac.uk 146.169.3.7 /pub/ibmpc/simtel20/whatever
- nic.switch.ch 130.59.1.40 /mirror/msdos/whatever
- archie.au 139.130.4.6 /micros/pc/simtel-20/whatever
- nctuccca.edu.tw 140.111.3.21 /SIMTEL20/msdos/whatever
-
- II. Garbo Mirrors
- garbo.uwasa.fi 128.214.87.1 /pc/whatever
- wuarchive.wustl.edu 128.252.135.4 /mirrors/garbo.uwasa.fi/whatever
- archie.au 139.130.4.6 /micros/pc/garbo/pc/whatever
- nctuccca.edu.tw 140.111.3.21 /Garbo/pc/whatever
-
- BTW ... please use a mirror site near you and preferably during off-peak
- hours (6:00 pm - 6:00 am) ...
-
- BTW2 ... best msdos Games site ... ftp.ulowell.edu (/msdos/Games)
- best Windows site ... ftp.cica.indiana.edu (/pub/pc/win3)
- best OS2 site ... ftp-os2.nmsu.edu (/pub/os2)
- best FAQs site ... pit-manager.mit.edu (/pub/usenet/news.answers)
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Appendix 2: Obtaining files by emails
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- If you do not have ftp access, you can obtain the files archived at Simtel
- and Garbo by emails (as long as your site has disk space set up for
- ftp-by-mail). To get more info ...
-
- For Simtel mail servers ...
- Send an email to LISTSERV@VMI.NODAK.EDU or LISTSERV@VM.ECS.RPI.EDU
- The body of the message should be: GET PDGET HELP
- Do not include your signature ...
-
- For garbo mail server ...
- Send an email to mailserv@garbo.uwasa.fi
- The subject of the message should be: garbo-request
- The body of the message should be: send help
- Do not include your signature ...
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Appendix 3: Getting upload announcements by emails
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- From: w8sdz@tacom-emh1.army.mil (Keith Petersen)
- Subject: Mailing list for MS-DOS file upload announcements
-
- MSDOS-Ann@TACOM-EMH1.Army.Mil is a ONE-WAY (moderated) mailing list
- which is used by the Internet MS-DOS archive managers to announce new
- additions to their collections.
-
- To add yourself to the mailing list send e-mail to
- listserv@TACOM-EMH1.Army.Mil with this command in the
- body of the message:
-
- subscribe msdos-ann
-
- To subscribe something other than the account the mail is coming from,
- such as a local redistribution list, then add that address to the
- "subscribe" command; for example, to subscribe "local-msdos-ann":
-
- subscribe local-msdos-ann@your.domain.net msdos-ann
-
- SIMTEL20 and Garbo information files, back issues of the digest, and
- programs to break the digest into individual messages are available.
- To receive a list, send a message to listserv@TACOM-EMH1.Army.Mil with
- this command in the body of the message:
-
- info
-
- Administrative mail may be sent to msdos-ann-request@TACOM-EMH1.Army.Mil
- but please use the mailing list server to add or delete yourself from the
- list. If you wish to unsubscribe, send mail (from the same address where
- you were when you subscribed) to listserv@TACOM-EMH1.Army.Mil with this
- command in the body of the message:
-
- unsubscribe msdos-ann
-
- Send mail with the word help in the body of the message to get a
- complete list of commands and their syntax.
-
- This server is only for mailing lists and information files. It will
- not send program files. Please do not include a signature because it
- may confuse the server.
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Appendix 4: How to do anonymous ftp?
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ftp = file transfer protocol ...
-
- The following is a _typical_ ftp session (on a Unix machine) ...
- Suppose you want to get pkz110eu.exe and gsz0503.zip from oak.oakland.edu ...
-
- $ ftp <enter>
- ftp> open oak.oakland.edu <enter> or open 141.210.10.117 <enter>
-
- Connected to oak.oakland.edu.
- 220 rigel.acs.oakland.edu FTP server (Version 6.12 Tue May 5 08:59:31 EDT 1992)
- ready.
- Name (oak.oakland.edu: your_login_name): anonymous <enter>
-
- 331 Guest login ok, send e-mail address as password.
- Password: your email address <enter>
-
- 230-
- 230- Welcome to
- 230- THE OAK SOFTWARE REPOSITORY
- 230- A service of Oakland University, Rochester Michigan
- 230-
- 230- Welcome, archive user! This is an experimental FTP server. If
- 230- you have any unusual problems, please report them via e-mail to
- 230- admin@vela.acs.oakland.edu. If you do have problems, please
- 230- try using a dash (-) as the first character of your password --
- 230- this will turn off the continuation messages that may be confusing
- 230- your ftp client. OAK is a Unix machine. Filenames are case sensitive.
- 230-
- 230-Please read the file README
- 230- it was last modified on Sun Aug 30 04:35:34 1992 - 41 days ago
- 230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply.
- Remote system type is UNIX.
- Using binary mode to transfer files.
-
- ftp> cd pub/msdos/zip <enter>
- 250 CWD command successful.
- ftp> ls
- 200 PORT command successful
- ... You should see a list of files in this subdirectory ...
- ftp> get pkz110.exe <enter>
- local: pkz110eu.exe remote: pkz110eu.exe
- 200 PORT command successful.
- 150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for pkz110eu.exe (140116 bytes).
- 226 Transfer complete.
- 140116 bytes received in 8.75 seconds (15.64 Kbytes/s)
-
- ftp> cd <enter> (or cd .. <enter>
- (remote directory) ../zmodem <enter> cd zmodem <enter> )
- 250 CWD command successful.
- ftp> get gsz0503.zip <enter>
- local: gsz0503.zip remote: gsz0503.zip
- 200 PORT command successful.
- 150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for gsz0503.zip (112454 bytes).
- 226 Transfer complete.
- 112454 bytes received in 10.23 seconds (10.73 Kbytes/s)
-
- ftp> bye <enter>
- 221 Goodbye
-
- --
- Command summary:
- ftp - start a ftp session
- open - connect to the named site
- close - end the ftp session with a partiular site
- bye - close all connection and exit ftp
- ascii - transfer text (ascii) files
- binary - transfer binary files
- tenex - transfer binary files (for wsmr-simtel20.army.mil only)
- cd - change directory of remote site
- lcd - change directory of your site
- get - get a file from the remote directory
- put - move a file to the remote directory (if allowed)
- mget - get mutiple files from the remote directory (mget *.*)
- mput - move multiple files to the remote directory
- del - delete a file in the remote directory (if allowed)
- mdel - delete multiple files in the remote directory
- ls - list files in the remote directory (or dir)
- help - print help information
- hash - print a pound sign (#) every time a block of data is transferred
- bell - sound a bell after each file transfer
- !cmd - execute a local command (e.g. !ls)
-
- Alternative ways to do anonymous ftp ...
- 1) I've got UNIX shell scripts that can enable you auto-ftp MSDOS files
- from any Simtel and Garbo mirror sites. If you want to get them, send me an
- email.
-
- 2) There are a couple of versatile programs that automate the ftp process ...
- a) autoftp - oak: /pub/misc/unix/autoftp30.tar-z
- - garbo: /unix/ftp/autoftp3.zoo
- b) batchftp - oak: /pub/misc/unix/batchftp102.tar-z
- - garbo: /unix/ftp/batchftp102.tar.Z (also batchftp.inf)
- batchftp requires the Berkeley Unix system (e.g. a SUN) ...
-
-
- =========================Thank You For Reading This ...=======================
-
- Samuel Ko (kko@sfu.ca) ... aka: The Smart One ...
- I've also compiled a list of the "best" Unix books / documentations ...
- And you can get it (unix) by anonymous ftp from pit-manager.mit.edu
- (in /pub/usenet/news.answers/books) ...
-
-
- Xref: bloom-picayune.mit.edu talk.religion.misc:72836 talk.religion.newage:17904 alt.pagan:21763 news.answers:3858
- Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!micro-heart-of-gold.mit.edu!rutgers!bagate!cbmvax!snark!esr
- From: esr@snark.thyrsus.com (Eric S. Raymond)
- Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc,talk.religion.newage,alt.pagan,news.answers
- Subject: Frequently Asked Questions about Neopaganism
- Message-ID: <1jL47H#6Lq5tM73ScrO8DxdTX1cbSl6=esr@snark.thyrsus.com>
- Date: 2 Nov 92 17:25:07 GMT
- Expires: 31 May 92 23:00:00 GMT
- Sender: esr@snark.thyrsus.com (Eric S. Raymond)
- Followup-To: poster
- Lines: 339
- Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu
-
- Archive-name: neopaganism-faq
- Last-update: Samhain 1992
- Version: 4.0
-
- I. Introduction
- The neopagan phenomenon is a loose collection of religious
- movements, experiments, and jokes combining some very new thinking with
- some very old sources.
-
- This article, prepared at the request of a number of curious
- net.posters, offers a brief description of neopagan thought and
- practice. A couple of good sources for further study are listed at
- the end.
-
- II. What is a neopagan?
- I used the term `religious' above, but as you'll see it's
- actually more than somewhat misleading, and I (like many other
- neopagans) use it only because no other word is available for the more
- general kind of thing of which the neopagan movement and what we
- generally think of as `religion' are special cases.
-
- Neopaganism is `religious' in the etymological sense of `re
- ligare', to rebind (to roots, to strengths, to the basics of things),
- and it deals with mythology and the realm of the `spiritual'. But, as
- we in the Judeo/Christian West have come to understand `religion' (an
- organized body of belief that connects the `supernatural' with an
- authoritarian moral code via `faith') neopaganism is effectively and
- radically anti-religious. I emphasize this because it is important in
- understanding what follows.
-
- Common characteristics of almost all the groups that describe
- themselves as `neopagan' (the term is often capitalized or hyphenated)
- include:
-
- 1. Anti-dogmatism
- Neopagan religions are religions of practice, pragmatism and
- immediate experience. The emphasis is always on what they can help
- the individuals in them to *do* and *experience*; theology and
- metaphysics take a back seat, and very little `faith' or `belief' is
- required or expected. In fact many neopagans (including yours truly)
- are actively hostile to `faith' and all the related ideas of religious
- authority, `divine revelation' and the like.
-
- 2. Compatibility with a scientific world-view
- This tends to follow from the above. Because neopaganism is
- centered in experiences rather than beliefs, it doesn't need or want
- to do vast overarching cosmologies or push fixed Final Answers to the
- Big Questions -- understanding and helping human beings relate to each
- other and the world as we experience it is quite enough for us. Thus,
- we are generally friendly to science and the scientific world-view.
- Many of us are scientists and technologists ourselve (in fact, by some
- counts, a plurality of us are computer programmers!).
-
- 3. Reverence for nature, sensuality, and pleasure
- Most neopaganisms make heavy use of nature symbolism and encourage
- people to be more aware of their ties to all the non-human life on
- this planet. Explicit worship of `Gaia', the earth ecosphere
- considered as a single interdependent unit, is common. Veneration of
- nature dieties is central to many traditions. Ecological activism is
- often considered a religious duty, though there is much controversy
- over what form it should take.
-
- By preference, most neopagans hold their ceremonies outdoors under
- sun or moon. Seasonal changes and astronomical rhythms (especially
- the solstices, equinoxes and full and new moons) define the ritual
- calendar.
-
- Ritual and festive nudity are common; to be naked before nature is
- often considered a holy and integrating act in itself. Sex is
- considered sacramental and sexual energy and symbolisms permeate
- neopagan practice (we like to contrast this with Christianity, in
- which the central sacrament commemorates a murder and climaxes in
- ritual cannibalism).
-
- 4. Polytheism, pantheism, agnosticism
- Most neopaganisms are explicitly polytheistic -- that is, they
- recognize pantheons of multiple dieties. But the reality behind this
- is more complex than it might appear.
-
- First, many neopagans are philosophical agnostics or even
- atheists; there is a tendency to regard `the gods' as Jungian
- archetypes or otherwise in some sense created by and dependent on
- human belief, and thus naturally plural and observer-dependent.
-
- Secondly, as in many historical polytheisms, there is an implicit
- though seldom-discussed idea that all the gods and goddesses we deal
- with are `masks', refractions of some underlying unity that we cannot
- or should not attempt to approach directly.
-
- And thirdly, there is a strong undercurrent of pantheism, the
- belief that the entire universe is in some important sense a
- responsive, resonating and sacred whole (or, which is different and
- subtler, that it is useful for human beings to view it that way).
-
- Many neopagans (including yours truly) hold all three of these
- beliefs simultaneously.
-
- 5. Decentralized, non-authoritarian organization; no priestly elite
- Neopagans have seen what happens when a priesthood elite gets
- temporal power; we want none of that. We do not take collections,
- build temples, or fund a full-time clergy. In fact the clergy-laity
- distinction is pretty soft; in many traditions, all members are
- considered `in training' for it, and in all traditions every
- participant in a ritual is an active one; there are and can be no
- pew-sitting passive observers.
-
- Most neopagan traditions are (dis)organized as horizontal networks
- of small affinity groups (usually called `circles', `groves', or
- `covens' depending on the flavor of neopagan involved). Priests and
- priestesses have no real authority outside their own circles (and
- sometimes not much inside them!), though some do have national
- reputations.
-
- Many of us keep a low profile partly due to a real fear of
- persecution. Too many of our spiritual ancestors were burned, hung,
- flayed and shot by religions that are still powerful for a lot of us
- to feel safe in the open. Down in the Bible Belt the burnings and
- beatings are still going on, and the media loves to hang that
- `Satanist' label on anything it doesn't understand for a good juicy
- story.
-
- Also, we never prosyletize. This posting is about as active a
- neopagan solicitation as anyone will ever see; we tend to believe that
- `converts' are dangerous robots and that people looking to be
- `converted' aren't the kind we want. We have found that it works
- quite well enough to let people find us when they're ready for what we
- have to teach.
-
- 6. Reverence for the female principle
- One of the most striking differences between neopagan groups and
- the religious mainstream is the wide prevalence (and in some
- traditions dominance) of the worship of goddesses. Almost all
- neopagans revere some form of the Great Mother, often as a nature
- goddess identified with the ecosphere, and there are probably more
- female neopagan clergy than there are male.
-
- Most neopagan traditions are equalist (these tend to pair the
- Great Mother with a male fertility-god, usually some cognate of the
- Greek Pan). A vocal and influential minority are actively feminist,
- and (especially on the West Coast) there have been attempts to present
- various neopagan traditions as the natural `women's religion' for the
- feminist movement. The effects of this kind of politicization of
- neopaganism are a topic of intense debate within the movement and fuel
- some of its deepest factional divisions.
-
- 7. Respect for art and creativity
- Neopaganism tends to attract artists and musicians as much as it
- attracts technologists. Our myth and ritual can be very powerful at
- stimulating and releasing creativity, and one of the greatest
- strengths of the movement is the rich outgrowth of music, poetry,
- crafts and arts that has come from that. It is quite common for
- people joining the movement to discover real talents in those areas
- that they never suspected.
-
- Poets and musicians have the kind of special place at neopagan
- festivals that they did in pre-literate cultures; many of our
- best-known people are or have been bards and songsmiths, and the
- ability to compose and improvise good ritual poetry is considered the
- mark of a gifted priest(ess) and very highly respected.
-
- 8. Eclecticism
- "Steal from any source that doesn't run too fast" is a neopagan
- motto. A typical neopagan group will mix Greek, Celtic and Egyptian
- mythology with American Indian shamanism. Ritual technique includes
- recognizable borrowings from medieval ceremonial magic, Freemasonry
- and pre-Nicene Christianity, as well as a bunch of 20th-century
- inventions. Humanistic psychology and some of the more replicable New
- Age healing techniques have recently been influential. The resulting
- stew is lively and effective, though sometimes a bit hard to hold
- together.
-
- 9. A sense of humor
- Neopagans generally believe that it is more dangerous to take your
- religion too seriously than too lightly. Self-spoofery is frequent
- and (in some traditions) semi-institutionalized, and at least one
- major neopagan tradition (Discordianism, known to many on this net) is
- *founded* on elaborate spoofery and started out as a joke.
-
- One of the most attractive features of the neopagan approach is
- that we don't confuse solemnity with gloom. Our rituals are generally
- celebratory and joyous, and a humorous remark at the right time need
- not break the mood.
-